The need is even greater in the last year with the life-saving service adding a third helicopter to its fleet, meaning it must find £6m a year to keep them in the air.

The charity is completely reliant on public donations to keep its helicopters and selling lottery memberships door-to-door raises more than £2m every year.

And although 83,000 people are signed up to the North West lottery, hundreds of supporters hold fund-raising events and thousands donate to the charity each year, the service admits it can only continue going while it has the support of the public.

Jenny Haskey, head of fund-raising, said: “Anyone, of any age, anywhere, may one day need our care and in the last year alone we flew 2,000 rescue missions throughout the region.

“We are so grateful for the support of our community of fund-raisers; without them, our charity would not be able to continue providing its urgent, life saving service to the eight million people of the North West and its visitors each year.”

The canvassers go door-to-door to every town and city in Lancashire throughout the year but next week they will be visiting Morecambe and Leyland.

For more information on the North West Air Ambulance Charity or to donate, please visit www.nwaa.net or call 0800 587 4570.